Pamilya!

Family!!! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for your emails!

first before I forget...

I finally went to the source of knowledge behind the mail system here because I was getting so many different responses. The official address is:

Philippines Angeles Mission

F. Tañedo St. Brgy San Nicolas

Tarlac City, Tarlac 2300

Philippines

For mail, packages, etc... no problems! They are sent to the mission office address and I get them and am so happy! Also the DearElders work and it sends to the mission address! Dad I got your DearElder you sent awhile ago ha ha and I got a DearElder from Madi Quinn! :) :) :) ONLY use the normal mail system when sending packages. (i.e. flat rate boxes.) If you use FedEx, or some other company it costs me P1000+ to receive it and pick it up. If you use the regular mail system it is just fine. 

Ahh your letters made me laugh! Thank you so very much! Ha ha Dad you're not going to ride your bike to Lake Powell!? What happened?? Of course you need a driver, but Dad hasn't this been your dream for so very long? You have the chance right in front of you! Take it! Ha ha but you have your agency. :)

Where is Jordan Hills Elementary? That is exciting your old principle might hire you! Is it a Traditional or Year-Round school? Also, I can't believe the back yard flooded! That is soo kind of Fred to let you know! And you're getting ready for the condo renovation! Maybe it will be done by the time I come home? That will be cool! Will you send me pictures of the condo as it comes along? I can't believe there is still snow there. Snow? What even is that? It is soo hot here. I love it. Thanks for telling me it will be cold the next couple days so to appreciate the heat. I do like the heat, and it is hot. Ha ha I'll send a picture of the heat... We watched General Conference yesterday and it looked so cold! I didn't see any flowers outside the conference center, crazy!

This week was fantastic. Each day seriously gets better and better. And slowly I fall more and more in love with the Philippines. There are still some culture shocks for me ha ha but they're good.I don't even know where to start....

We had another baptism! Brother Archie got baptized on Friday! It was great and he was happy. He is married to a member, and she was inactive for a long time, then recently came back to the church. They have two adorable daughters and their whole family is working on reactivating themselves. Their house was the first house I went to when I got to the Philippines. Ha ha good memory. Deer in headlights look the whole time. Stunned as I couldn't pick up on one word they said. Trying to follow what my kasama was doing, bearing my testimony of what I thought the lesson was about, but more just "I know the church is true. I know Jesus Christ lives. Amen." Something something like that.

It was also General Conference on Saturday and SUnday. SOOO great. The Church's official language in the Philippines in English so Conference was in English. I wish so badly that they had a translator though. Many people understand English to an extent. However at Conference sometimes the speakers use elaborate language and they don't understand. Also, many people don't hardly know English at all. they feel intimidated to come to church where there is a lot of English and they feel like only rich people know English. It is hard for them to come when they don't feel comfortable and intimidated because of the language. At church church mostly it is all Tagalog. However for example we sing in English. So I wish the church would maybe have translators or use more Tagalog for more people to understand. Anyway, Conference was great. I learned so much. I felt so many good feelings. And now is the applying what I've learned part. It was so neat to me as I went into Conference trying to listen for things that could help our Invistagators and there were many times when someone would say something and i would think of a face and name who that could help! Wow the Lord knows His children! I pray that I will remember those things so that hopefully I can share what I've learned and felt with those we teach and they too can learn and feel the Spirit. I just love conference! 

We have a great investigator! Her name is Rysa and she is soo kind! She came to Conference!! That was the highlight! We were so happy she came! AND she stayed for both sessions on Sunday. She also came to Family Fun Night. Once a month the ward has a Family Fun Night, like the equivalent of a Ward Activity I guess) and it is just a night of games. She brought her family! We were thrilled!!! Ha ha we all rode one trike to get to the church. Ha ha we were packed. 10 people on one trike! I'll send a picture! In the picture ha ha one person got off the back to take the picture and all you can see of me is my "thumbs up" so you have to look closely. :) But we hope and pray that Sister Rysa and her family will be baptized. The gospel will bring them so much happiness.

Also this week we had interviews with President Martino. I asked if I could call home on Father's Day instead of Mother's Day! So I will call you in June instead of May. :) I'm excited! At the interview it was short and sweet, mostly just a check up I felt like. He asked some questions, gave some counsel, etc. It was great. We also had a lot of workshops while President was interviewing us individually. I learned a lot about comittments and following up. Following up on committments is just as important as extending them I think. And comittments are important because through committments we are inviting others to repent and come closer to Christ. It is hard to make changes in your life especially when you've been doing something for so long, but the committments are very inspired, important, and help people come to Christ. I love it.

As I practice and use Tagalog more and more each day I get better at it. Crazy how when you practice something and use and apply it, it becomes easier/better. I still have SO much to learn. I still struggle with Tagalog, and I am learning how to turn my struggles into learning opportunities. So badly I want to be able to understand people's feelings and understandings, and concerns. I pray that Tagalog will come for me more and more each day as I practice. Slowly and surly I have faith! :)

How is Jr. doing? How is the whole family living all under one roof? Oh, when does Ryan graduate? It is April... soon? Happy graduation Ryan! Ryan I've heard you're a good "go and doer" of whatever Savanna needs. Good work. What would you do if she said she wanted a Pony? 

I love you family!! Thanks for your kindness, love, and your service to me. I can't describe how much I love you! I miss you too! Oh I love you tons and tons and tons! And Dad thanks for your personal letter before your weekly letter. I love that you say just a little something to me. Thank you thank you thank you. I love YOU tons and tons! :)

-Sister Davidson 

Pictures:

1. There was a BEAUTIFUL lightening story! Holy cow it was amazing. My kasama and the one of the ward missionaries laughed and laughed at how amazed I was by it. I walked backwards so I could see it and they walked with me arm in arm forward and just laughed and took pictures. I can't describe the beauty! The clouds were lighted up from the back. And sometimes you could see the zig zag of the lightening. And it reoccured so often! Ligthening after lightening after lightening. So beautiful. And no thunder! It happens often here. But soo beautiful. So this picture is of me looking back and walking while they were walking forward and laughing.

2. two little rabbits that we thought were cute. W're not allowed to come into contact with animals (for a really good reason) so we just held the box.

3. The members who came to support Brother Archie and his baptism. His wife and one of their daughters is next to him in the middle. 

Oh random thing I remembered! When we got to the church. The water was so dirty in the font that we had to drain it all and then refill it. Which took a lot of time. I felt so bad that we didn't do it before hand but Filipino time is the same as most Islander time... which is very different from America. So no worries for them. Also something random. For 3 nights in a row we have had no water in our apt. Ooh it is rough. We just put a lot of water into waterbottles every morning so we can use them at night. We don't know why we're not getting water at night but it turns back on in the morning. Also. They have scheduled power-outages here to save electricity. Ah man... no electricty means no fans. Hot hot hot hot. Oh boy. I am so grateful for water and electricity and I now give thanks to Heavenly Father for those things daily in my prayers.